Posts Tagged ‘Chester City Football Club’

Chester City FC (2004) Ltd have today been wound up by the HMRC over the matter of an unpaid tax bill. Here’s a few memories from a recent visit to the ‘theatre of screams’ before it becomes overgrown and derelict…

An interim statement has been issued by City Fans United in light of today’s news that Chester City Football Club have been expelled from the Football Conference.

Today the member clubs of the Football Conference have voted to expel Chester City FC from the competition.

City Fans United are dismayed and saddened that this situation has been allowed to occur, however we have previously stated our belief that years of financial mismanagement meant that this decision was inevitable.

We are angry that Chester City FC was allowed to fall into such a sorry state and we call upon the football authorities to review their rules on the ownership and financial control of football clubs, before the supporters of another football club are forced to endure the pain felt by fans of Chester City FC.

CFU have previously outlined our vision for the future for football in Chester but, like all supporters of Chester City FC, we must take some time to grieve.

We believe that 125-years of footballing history will live on through and each every supporter of Chester City FC. Rest assured that City Fans United will continue to fight for the future of football in Chester.

The Football Conference have expelled Chester City following a vote of it’s member clubs this morning at Rushden & Diamonds’ Nene Park Stadium.

Needing 75% support of it’s motion to expel Chester City, the vote has been carried and Chester City Football Club have been expelled from the league.

The Board of the Football Conference has issued a statement following the meeting of member clubs at Rushden & Diamonds on Friday morning.

The statement reads: “Member clubs of the Football Conference, at a general meeting held today, voted in support of the Board of Director`s recommendation to erase Chester City (2004) FC Ltd from membership in accordance with Article 5.2.

“Chester City did not attend the meeting.”

City Fans United’s initial reaction to the news was one of sadness.

“This is a sad day in the history of the football club,” said CFU spokesman Jeff Banks.

“But the right decision was made. Conference chairmen have looked at the bigger picture and seen that this was the best way forward for the football club.

“We must now continue with our plans to form a new football club in the city.”

Barrie Hipkiss, once a player at the club and a fan for more than 60 years, said he was devastated.

“This is the last thing I wanted to see happen,” he said. “I feel for the players, the youngsters, the groundstaff, Tony Allen the secretary, because this is a bad day for them.

“I spoke to Bob Gray earlier and he said he was sure tomorrow’s game against Oxford would be on but he was looking at pounds, shillings and pence.

“I would have liked to see the club survive but realistically I could not see us fulfilling our fixtures and that was the key point.

“I have also lost a lot of respect for Stephen Vaughan. I volunteered at the club and gave a lot to it and he then comes out and calls the fans idiots.

“That didn’t go down very well and if he’s calling me an idiot, well, he’s lost my respect.”

Today’s decision by member clubs to expel Chester City from the Football Conference is “unparalleled in the history of our national sport” says the league’s press officer Colin Peake. He also warned that the club’s dire plight should act as “a wake-up call” to all clubs tempted to live beyond their means.

But he also stressed that moves by disenchanted Blues fans to encourage clubs to kick City out were not taken into consideration when the big vote was held.

“Chester City can appeal, but they cannot appeal against the decision made this morning,” added Peake. “The only thing they can appeal against is the decision originally of the Conference board to recommend to its members that Chester be erased from membership.

“The fans have been disgruntled, to put it politely, with the running of the club, and have had their own campaign to try and persuade other clubs to follow the recommendation of the board. But none of that was taken into account by the board. It was kept strictly on legal terms.

“Today’s events are unparalleled in the history of our national sport, and it is with much regret that these circumstances have evolved.

“The Football Conference are very sad that any club should go such a way, but especially one with a proud 125-year-old history. So it should come as a wake-up call to all clubs that they must live within their means, and that financial prudence can be the only way forward for football clubs at all levels.”

Peake also said that Chester City officials were invited to attend today’s crunch meeting held at Rushden and Diamonds’ Nene Park ground but chose not to.

Blues director of football Morell Maison said the decision could be good for football.

“This has been coming for a long time,” he said. “My first reaction was shock, but when you think, there are probably six or seven clubs operating at the moment in a similar position.

“Where Chester failed was the fundamental principle of football, they were unable to play games. Other club keep going because they play games.

“There is a lot of shock around the club at the moment but we have been in talks overnight to look at the options because there is still a business there, it still has a ground.

“I do not know what the Vaughan family are planning but I do know that the club could continue, get on an even keel, pay off it’s debts and apply for re-entry further down football’s feeder leagues.

“There are people who say they can get this club going well let’s see if they can.”

What now? Will the Danish consortium now back off, can a City Fans United led phoenix club rise from the ashes.

Stephen Vaughan has revealed that a deal has been struck with a Danish consortium to buy Chester City Football Club.

The Blues owner, who attended a meeting in London last week where the Conference board recommended that Chester City be removed from the competition after pleading guilty to breaching five league rules, is hopeful that the crisis-hit club can earn a last gasp reprieve.

Vaughan said: “A deal has been done with a Denmark-based consortium, chesterprojekt.dk, subject to legal issues being agreed.

“I was one of three people from Chester City who met members of the Conference board at a meeting in London on Friday where the club presented cash forecasts and funding projections in a bid to safeguard the club from being expelled from the league.

“The club admitted it had breached five rules including rule 8.6 which mentions expulsion, and the Conference board have now recommended that member clubs of the Conference Premier Division will vote to expel Chester City from the competition.

“The Vaughan family will today contact the Football Conference and inform them that we will defer full payment until June 2011 and ensure that full funding will be made available to pay all of our outstanding creditors, i.e. rent, revenue and all players wages and players arrears, and other football creditors.

“We will make an application to the Football Conference for them to reconsider their position so that we can fulfil the remainder of our fixtures.”

Vaughan added: “In the meantime, the Vaughan family and Gary Metcalfe met a Denmark-based consortium at the Deva Stadium on Saturday to strike a deal for the sale of the football club.

“The deal entails a 100 per cent buy out of the Vaughan family’s shareholding.

“The Danish consortium was headed by Palle Rasmussen who was representing a group known as Chester projekt.dk.

“We shook hands on a deal which is now the subject of legal issues, but I feel confident that the Danish consortium can now be the new owners of the football club subject to an agreed sale through our solicitors Brabners, and the Danes solicitors who will stage talks today.

“I feel a deal can be done between now and March 6th if the funds are put in place. They need to satisfy everyone that Chester City Football Club has a future.

“I now believe that Chester City Football Club does have a future and I hope the Football Conference and it’s Premier Division clubs can save the club from expulsion and safeguard 125 years of history at the club.”

The Danish consortium were introduced to the Vaughan family by former Chester City manager Mark Wright who now has his own public relations company.

Vaughan added: “Both Mark Wright and his former Liverpool team mate, Jan Molby, have both been involved in the sale of Chester City Football Club through Mark Wright’s PR company, and we are now hoping the sale can go through.”

The Board of the Football Conference today (18th February 2010) met with representatives of Chester City (2004) FC, when the club pleaded guilty to all five counts with which they were charged.

These included those in respect of failing to fulfil fixtures, non payment of Football Creditors, failing to attend satisfactorily to competition business and bringing the competition into disrepute.

At the conclusion of a lengthy meeting, the representatives were advised that the Board failed to be convinced with their presentation that the club were able to demonstrate the club’s ability to fulfil future fixtures in the competition and as a consequence informed the club of their finding in relation to Conference Rule 8.6.

In compliance with Article 5.2 of the Football Conference, the Board will recommend to its Member Clubs that Chester City (2004) FC should face expulsion from membership. To facilitate this recommendation the Board are now legally mandated to convene a General Meeting of Member Clubs to, receive, deliberate and vote on the said recommendation to expel in consideration of Rule 8.6 and Article 5.2.

Until the meeting is held the club will remain suspended from the competition and their representatives suitably advised as to any future plans or presentations they may well wish to pursue against the recommendation of the Board to its Member Clubs. The date and venue of the meeting is subject to final clarification.

Chester City’s attendance fell to a new low at the weekend with 460 people passing through the turnstyles. Most of them were season ticket or complimentary tickets holders (press and players’ families etc).

Under the terms of the sale offer released by Chester City Football Club’s solicitors,, the club becomes even less likely to be sold, as more debts accrue with each passing day and week.

‘I can afford to run this football club for as long as I want to, with or without the fans’ was a famous quote made by Chester City’s owner Stephen Vaughan when interviewed by Chester City Mad back in 2005. Well it looks like being without the fans, carry on digging Mr Vaughan!!!

Kit manufacturers Vandanel have had a quantity of unused kit returned to them by cash strapped Chester City. It comprises of shirts (yellow second and white third choice strips), together with Sweatshirts and Training Kit etc.

All are available in both adult and youth or junior sizes. There are now on sale online at reduced prices through their website.